


Safe In Your Arms

by makesometime



Category: Terra Nova (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fingerfucking, Hurt/Comfort, Married Couple, Multi, Older Woman/Younger Woman, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-28
Updated: 2012-04-28
Packaged: 2017-11-06 19:46:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/422536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makesometime/pseuds/makesometime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was strangely close to perfect. Until she saw the little red dot dancing prettily over her lover's chest</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe In Your Arms

Alicia Washington was perennially early. It was a side effect of her military training, a side effect of the fear of god being put into her by instructors screaming in the faces of latecomers, a side effect of serving under Nathaniel Taylor.

But it was an issue exacerbated by her relationship with Ayani Taylor. Master politician, social butterfly, wife of her closest friend, older sister she never had, lover she never expected. 

A questionable timekeeper. 

Yet she had an excuse, one that no one questioned, just accepted when she smiled broadly at them, waltzing into a meeting ten minutes late, or a lunch date a quarter hour after expected:

Ayani Taylor was never late. Everyone else was simply early.

Alicia sat herself at the pre-booked table in the little bistro outside Ayani's office, indulging a little in ordering a glass of wine and mentally preparing herself for a long wait. She contented herself with watching the world go by; seeing politicians and their aides scurrying to and fro, two star generals heading in for meetings when they'd much rather be out in the field (a feeling she shared, despite her determination to enjoy her leave this time). 

It was getting on for five minutes after their agreed meeting time – Alicia was _almost_ impressed by her near-punctuality – when a sleek black car pulled up to the curb and a driver came around to open the rear door. Alicia couldn't deny the quickening of her pulse when a pair of shapely legs swung out of their seat, Ayani leaving the vehicle and smoothing her black pencil skirt down. Seeing the Taylor woman like this, it wasn't difficult to see what had first drawn her CO's attention; she exuded confident power, safe in the knowledge of her good looks and charm. Alicia didn't even try not to stare – half the people in the damn restaurant were and they didn't have an intimate knowledge of how _good_ those limbs felt wrapped around sweat-slick skin...

Ayani looked around for a moment before spotting her and her resulting smile was almost blinding in its pleasure. Alicia felt every eye in the place turn to see who deserved such a reaction and stood to greet Ayani feeling a hundred feet tall – it was _her_. _She_ deserved it and knew how damn lucky she was to be able to claim so.

Alicia went to press her lips to Ayani's cheek in greeting but a gentle finger under her chin redirected her mouth until it was pressed up against the older woman's in a sweet, gentle kiss. She smiled against the painted red lips before pulling away and seating herself once more.

"People will talk." Alicia laughed, picking up her menu and sneaking a look at the older woman to find her cheeks pleasantly flushed.

Ayani hummed in agreement. "Let them."

Her easy confidence inspired a similar feeling in Alicia; after all 'Ayani Taylor' and 'scandal' were words that had no place anywhere near each another. There were never any 'salacious' news vids about the woman, never any whisper of anything less than utterly pure motives in all the actions she took and causes she championed. Alicia wasn't foolish enough to believe Ayani completely without fault; she employed one of the best PR teams in the country, and being married to a war hero tended to lend her a bullet-proof vest against personal criticism. The politician exploited these factors to their full potential, climbing the career ladder by filling the places of men and women who were not so careful, not so skilled at playing the game.

All of which meant she was ridiculously unpopular within the ranks of government; seen as a threat from both those above (whose positions she could take with just one slip-up) and those below (who didn't have a chance in hell of exposing a weakness).

But, it also meant that she could kiss her husband's second in public without fear of recrimination. After all, what were they going to say? The truth surely would seem too incredible for anyone to consider with any seriousness.

So, Alicia let herself relax. They ate well, discussed Ayani's work, contemplated the chance of Nathaniel joining them before Alicia's leave was up (possible, not guaranteed and therefore not worth wasting time hoping for). It was strangely close to perfect.

Until she saw the little red dot dancing prettily over her lover's chest.

In that moment she was helpless against her instincts cutting in, weighing the situation, planning with desperate calm. Her sniper training flooded her mind, helping her scan the area in a second, work out the angles and figure out the location of the would-be assassin. She heard her voice shouting for everyone to get down, an order she'd put voice to a hundred times in the past - just not in the middle of a civilian plaza in lunch hour.

She barely had a moment to register the shock on Ayani's face before she was out of her chair, putting the full force of her weight behind just getting the older woman to the ground. She was so focused on her task that the gunshot was only a flicker in her awareness, the sharp pain in her arm merely a nuisance. Ayani was safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Are you okay?" Alicia breathed, looking down at the woman beneath her. The older woman's face was pale, but her eyes showed only anger, concern.

"I'm fine, Alicia. But I'm not the one who's bleeding."

With a frown Alicia looked down at her arm, saw a straight tear through her sleeve through which blood was seeping with ease. Before she could do anything more than assess the depth of the wound (not bad; not great but not her worst), Ayani's hand was curling around her arm and holding tight. Blood stained her pale digits too quickly and Alicia glared at the sight of it, at her own body's audacity to colour the delicate skin so.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Ayani said firmly, hand tightening in warning when Alicia shook her head.

"We need to wait until it's safe to move, Ayani." Alicia said. "Trust me. Wait for the authorities. I am _not_ putting you in any more danger."

Ayani wanted to argue, her mouth opened to do, but all that came out was a resigned sigh. "There's no point in arguing with you, is there?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of Alicia's lips. She went to shrug but remembered her injury at the last moment. "No." She said simply.

In any other situation, being so close to Ayani would have been a joy and a pleasure. Only now it allowed her to watch the full gamut of emotions flashing in the woman's green gaze, too many, too fast, too serious. The desire to do anything about it was tempered by the now-throbbing pain in her arm, yet it was still all that occupied Alicia's thoughts until the sirens came.

-

Returning to her private room after filling out reams upon reams of paperwork (the military was paying for her treatment, despite Ayani's insistence otherwise) Alicia found Ayani pacing at the end of the bed, phone pressed to her ear, hand tangled in her hair to hold it off her face.

"I don't care. Find who did this and _stop them_." She practically growled at whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the other end of the line, no sign of the soft spoken woman Alicia knew from their shared home. "Understand?"

It took her disconnecting the call, glaring at her cell for good measure and letting her hand fall from her hair for Alicia to recognise that Ayani's hands were still stained with her blood, crimson having faded to dark brown over the intervening hours. It was a hateful image, wrong in so many ways; Ayani would never even have metaphorical blood on her hands, to see them covered in the real thing made the lieutenant's heart clench with something strangely akin to grief.

Grief had no place in their lives, not any more. To invite it in so blatantly felt like tempting fate, a thought that had her crossing the room to take the older woman's hands in her own. To cover the evidence with her own, stronger, grasp; hiding it with skin that was far more used to being covered in the blood of those she loved (the man she loved). 

"Alicia." Ayani smiled, sounding almost relieved as her hands clenched under the younger woman's. "How are you?"

"It'll take a few more hours for the skin to fully heal." She said distractedly, looking the older woman's face over for any signs of strain, finding alarmingly few. "But they do good work here and the brass are willing to pay for the best."

"So they should." Ayani said, then chuckled. "Besides, Nathaniel would have something to say if they didn't."

The mention of their lover's name brought a warmth to the room that was chased away all too quickly by the cold, sterile nature of their surroundings. It made Alicia pull the older woman into an uncharacteristic hug (her displays of affection, while not uncommon, were not normally so public as their earlier kiss), Ayani's arms winding around her waist as she buried her face in dark tresses.

Alicia thought she felt the woman wrapped around her trembling, but the sensation was as fleeting as the comfort brought by the thought of Nathaniel; when Ayani stepped back her face was open and warm as always. She stood resolute under the lieutenant's searching gaze, forehead creasing in an impression of confusion that didn't quite mesh with the flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"Let's go home." Alicia said eventually, taking Ayani's hand and leading her gently to the door.

Because offering comfort to a woman who wouldn't accept she needed it was worth the chance of furtive second glances. But yet again she mused – who was going to guess what was really going behind two linked hands?

-

Life for the next few days was... odd. Disquieting.

Outwardly Ayani seemed as she ever had. Bubbly, a little bit cheeky. All too willing to open a bottle of wine in the evening. But there were changes, peculiarities that Alicia would have been blind to have missed.

The first day she cancelled all her meetings. Claimed a need to look after a recovering friend outweighed her previous commitments (never mind that Alicia was fully healed and Ayani spent all her free time in the kitchen, cooking all manner of things they shouldn't be eating but couldn't help but indulge in).

The second day she showed a similar reluctance to leave the house. Instead shut herself away in her office, fielding phone calls, holding video conferences. Shouting, a lot. Alicia heard her lose her temper more frequently in the course of one working day than in the entire time she'd known her.

And, worst of all, each night after the shooting she entered her bedroom alone. Shutting the door behind her. Shutting Alicia out.

One night when she passed Ayani's room she swore she heard her crying. And still, still, like a coward that she had never been before, she kept on walking. Completely at a loss for what the older woman needed her to do.

More and more Alicia found herself considering, in the moments when Ayani shut herself away: what, exactly, would Nathaniel do in this situation?

Would he let his wife stew, as Alicia had chosen, assuming that eventually she would either move past it or want to talk it out. Or would he push, like she was now struggling with the urge to do, using knowledge built up in years of marriage (that she could _never_ hope to claim for herself) to urge his wife out of her tormented thoughts.

She was close to calling him several times, wanting the advice, the thoughtful guidance, that he would normally supply with ease . But it felt like a betrayal to do so without the older woman's knowledge. So she contented herself with short emails, questioning how he was, how the unit was faring, if he knew when he might be coming home.

She wondered if he could read the confusion, the pain her words disguised. Wondered what he'd do if he could.

Hated her own indecision; so unlike her, so unwelcome.

And so the cycle began again.

The third day yielded a different problem to be solved: Ayani was needed at her office. No excuses. There were still people more powerful than her who could tell her what to do, and this time there was no arguing. They wanted to see her.

So she would go.

Alicia was surprised it took so long for them to demand her presence. She had been the victim of an assassination attempt on government soil. Alicia suspected if they hadn't known she was living with a special forces soldier, there would have been visible guards around the property (probably there already was, Alicia had her eye on a few suspicious government-issue-looking vehicles that had popped up since the incident).

The same black vehicle that had brought Ayani to the restaurant turned up at their door at the stroke of eight the morning of the third day.

And Ayani hesitated at the door.

Alicia stepped forward to place a hand on her friend's shoulder, finding it unspeakably tense underneath her palm. The older woman knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that in her working day she could be walking past or conversing with the man or woman who organised the attempt on her life. Alicia had no idea of the emotions that must be swirling in her friend's head – anybody who made an attempt on _her_ life did so in the field, and was appropriately dealt with. Knew that facing up to the threat was the only way to get Ayani's head back in the game. But... she didn't have to do it alone.

She squeezed Ayani's shoulder once before speaking. "Give me a second, I'll get my things."

"Alicia, you don't have to..." The protest was immediate, the force behind it weak. 

Easing her boots on and grabbing her coat, Alicia pasted on a bright smile. "I need to go and see General Ellis anyway; he requested an update on medical operations and I could just as easily give it in person."

"Don't you need to be in uniform?"

"Maybe later." Alicia replied, her voice a soft purr that drew laughter from Ayani (which was a win in her book, no matter how small). "Ellis isn't a stickler for regulations, and I'll basically just be a talking email. It's fine."

With a resolute nod and a straightening of her spine that did a masterful job of hiding her inner turmoil, Ayani started towards the vehicle, Alicia quick to follow.

-

Alicia's meeting wasn't as brief as she thought it would be, despite General Ellis looking as surprised to see her as expected. They had a longer conversation as a result of her turning up in person, ironed out a few kinks in the plans for future development. It was unexpectedly productive and she felt a real sense of achievement afterwards.

It didn't change the fact that her body had been thrumming with awareness of Ayani only a few floors away throughout every syllable that left her lips.

When she was dismissed it was well past lunchtime and Ayani wouldn't be ready for hours. Despite the urge her feet held to carry her to her lover's office, she took the elevator down to the teeming entrance hall, swiped her visitor's pass over the turnstiles and let herself out into the sunshine of a gorgeous spring day.

She stopped on the steps leading out onto the plaza, attention stolen by the bistro where she and Ayani had sat unawares four days before. It was doing a roaring trade – Alicia suspected a combination of devil-may-care attitude and confidence in the new security features no doubt immediately employed. Her eyes then tracked up to the building they knew the sniper had fired from, to find a piece of police tape still flapping listlessly in the wind, left behind by a sloppy technician. She felt an odd kinship with it, feeling equally lost when presented with reminders of an event she could never have done anything to prevent yet still couldn't shake the itch in her mind that said she _should_ have.

She grabbed a coffee and something sickly sweet from a stall on the opposite side of the plaza and ate while seated beside the reflecting pool; letting its calm surface infuse her frustrated thoughts and inspire a similar feeling.

By the time she had finished she felt much more like herself, ready to confront the issue head on and get both her and Ayani's lives back on track. Unable to stop herself, she purchased a bouquet of Ayani's favourite flowers from a vendor by the street and then headed back inside the building. 

She let herself into Ayani's empty office at her PA's reluctant admittance and placed the flowers in the empty vase, before settling into the sofa with a book to await the arrival of her lover. 

The wait seemed far shorter than it probably was while wrapped up in the words on the page in front of her, Alicia torn out of the story being weaved for her by the door to the office opening. Ayani walked through and let it close thoughtlessly behind her, unaware that Alicia was there. The younger woman watched as, immediately after the door shut, her shoulders sagged and her face fell. The sight of the flowers on her desk prompted a tiny quirk of her lips but instead of stopping to smell them like she had every single time Alicia came to visit – an action that the medic knew helped calm warring thoughts and re-centre the politician – she simply rounded the large piece of furniture to drop into her chair with a sigh.

Alicia's face must have shown her concern when Ayani looked up and spotted her, because the older woman's forehead creased at being so caught out. She shook her head to clear her expression and refocused on the younger woman with something that fell far from the amusement she likely intended. 

"You're too good at being quiet. Nathaniel taught you well."

 _Maybe_. Alicia thought. _But not well enough to know what to do._ "Are you finished for the day?"

Ayani nodded. "I still have some things to do but they can wait until we're home. I... don't want to be here any longer today."

Acceding to Ayani's wishes, they travelled home in silence and once there the politician entered her office. 

And, as was becoming painfully familiar, shut the door behind her.

It was a message Alicia had come to despise, a sight that drew such a burning hatred she was surprised her gaze didn't leave scorch marks in the door. But she _still_ couldn't make herself feel it was her place to do anything about it. Was too afraid of seeing what waited behind it – a broken, scared woman, she knew – and found avoidance becoming a firm friend.

But there was only so much that Alicia could take before she _would_ break – her emotional limit was high, strengthened by years in the military teaching her when and where it was appropriate to feel to a strong degree. But she had never been a endlessly patient person. And when Ayani missed dinner, she could no longer let herself ignore what was really going on.

She finally knew what she had to do, whether Ayani liked it or not.

With a firm rap of her knuckles to the door Alicia entered the office, not waiting for an invitation. She found the woman slumped in her chair, one hand to her forehead, glass of scotch in the other. 

"Is that helping?" She asked, arms instinctively folding over her chest.

"Alicia..."

"Talk to me, Ayani." Alicia said, her words close to an appeal to the woman in front of her. She realised that she was not above begging, not if it would end the stalemate.

Ayani stood wearily, putting the tumbler down and leaning on the desk. "Alicia, I'm really rather-."

"No." Alicia interjected, walking forward until her thighs were pressed up against the front of the desk. "If this were me, you wouldn't rest until I'd told you _everything_. Talk to me Ayani. Please."

Ayani met her imploring gaze, showing anger burning in her green eyes. But there was something else there that Alicia knew all too well - the older woman _was_ scared. And she didn't know how to handle it.

But. She knew someone who did.

Alicia's hand was on the telephone before Ayani could blink, fingers dialling a number she had memorised in case of emergency. Still, it took a while to connect.

"What are you doing?" Ayani asked, green gaze narrowed at her. When she was ignored, she pulled herself up to her full height. "Alicia. I hope you're not...."

The connection made just as Ayani started to reach for the disconnect and Alicia answered the querying voice as quickly as she could.

"Sir. I have someone here who needs to talk to you."

"Alicia..." Ayani said, voice low and warning. 

"Wash? What's wrong?" She heard, Nathaniel's voice concerned.

Alicia paused, toying with replying before just holding the handset out to Ayani. The older woman looked at it suspiciously, clearly wanting to be anywhere else – yet accepting that she couldn't run any longer.

Alicia left soon after the other woman gave her quiet greeting; walking to her bedroom she pretended not to hear the gasping sob that followed her down the hallway and forced her feet not to return and comfort her lover. She was not who Ayani needed.

-

It was late when the door to Alicia's room finally opened and closed whisper-quiet. Feet padded over the carpet, the covers lifted and Ayani's lithe body slid underneath. She settled on her back, head on the set of pillows Alicia wasn't using and waited, quietly, for her invitation – if one were to be given.

Alicia turned on her side to face the older woman and sighed when she saw her calm and collected once more, hands folded on her abdomen. 

"Are you okay?" She murmured, sliding a hand over the mattress and up to tangle with one of the slender ones she knew so well.

"No." Ayani said quietly. She tipped her head towards the medic and smiled sadly. "Someone tried to kill me." She said in a hushed, quick intonation. The first utterance of something they both knew to be true but only one of them had so far accepted.

"I know, Ayani." Alicia replied, squeezing the hand within her own. "But they didn't."

Ayani nodded slowly. "Because you were there."

The younger woman frowned, slid closer and let her arm completely encircle the older woman's middle. "Because it'll take a lot more than a poorly trained sniper to take out Ayani Taylor."

This brought a flicker of a smile to Ayani's face, but it died as quickly as it appeared. "Next time they won't be poorly trained."

"There won't be a next time, Ayani. Not if Nathaniel and I have anything to do with it."

"And when you ship out?" The politician was fading, revealing the scared woman underneath to the dark quiet of the bedroom. "What then?"

"You think either of us is shipping out when you're in danger?"

Ayani shook her head. "You won't have a choice. It's not going to-."

Alicia cut Ayani off for the second time that evening, however the pressure of her lips proved a far more welcome interruption. The older woman's hands came up to cup her cheeks, hold her close as their lips moved gently over each other's.

"Enough, Ayani." Alicia said when they broke apart, her voice as soft as her words were forceful. "We won't get anywhere talking about this tonight. Just... let me prove this. That we will always be there for you."

It felt strange to be so gentle with her usually fiery lover. Not an unwelcome change in any way, but enough to spread a curious warmth through her body as she carefully covered Ayani's form with her own.

Her head dipped to retake the other woman's lips, wasting no time in probing with her tongue until they opened beneath hers. The first touch of her tongue to Ayani's was tentative, a certain... _something_ was missing from their usual interactions. Coaxing with gentle strokes, a murmur of pleasure, a nip of teeth; soon the older woman was pushing back against her, hands clutching at her arms as her back arched.

Alicia smiled, breaking the kiss and sitting up. Her hands fell to the hem of Ayani's top and slowly started to push it up her torso, fingers playing over each newly exposed stretch of skin. There was a softness to this body that was foreign to her as a toned, sleek weapon of the military and she enjoyed the way her palms passed over curves she had mapped with her touch many times in the past. 

Pushing the top over her breasts Alicia found Ayani naked underneath and smiled as her nipples drew tight in the cool air of the bedroom. She let her hands cover them, kneading lightly and contemplating the disparity between the sight of her own hands and her memory of Nathaniel's hands over the same breasts. Ayani gasped when the lieutenant's palms caught against her peaks as she pushed onwards, quickly tugging the material over her head.

Smoothing Ayani's hair, Alicia tangled her fingers in the tresses and leant down to kiss her once more. "You're safe now." She murmured against her lips.

Ayani stiffened for a moment before nodding, her hands coming to rest on Alicia's back. They grew in confidence as the medic continued to kiss her, deepening each exploratory thrust of her tongue until they were both growing short of air. To rectify this the older woman pulled the layer of material separating them over the younger woman's head and they both let out sighs of satisfaction as their bare skin touched for the first time.

Alicia felt Ayani's mouth curve against her cheek, then the light scratch of nails down her bare back. Small hands rested for a moment in the curve of her lower back before slipping down, under the waistband of her pyjama pants to cup her ass. She hissed out a breath of pleasure when Ayani's nails dug in again, her fingers kneading muscle and pulling her ever closer.

In response Alicia moved her weight to her knees and let her hands roam the skin of Ayani's abdomen. Her own nails teased gentle lines over sensitive skin. Ayani mewled her need for something more tangible against the lips that had recaptured her own, Alicia quick to oblige with a increase in pressure that earned her an arched back and the press of heaving breasts against her.

Ayani was slick with arousal when Alicia's questing hand finally slid into her pants for a tentative testing touch before it moved up over her the top of her leg, pushing her pants down. Her hand then traced down the sensitive skin of her inner thigh and slowly back between her legs, to run one finger along her core as Ayani kicked the material from around her legs and brought her left thigh up to allow Alicia better access.

Alicia's eyes locked on to green in the moonlight when hands came to gently cradle her face. The gold of Ayani's wedding band was cool against her cheek, binding the pair to Nathaniel in the moment their eyes met. "You're safe, Ayani."

The older woman's eyes slipped closed but a smile formed at the repetitions of words she so desperately needed to hear. The smile disappeared as her mouth fell open when Alicia slipped a first finger inside of her, seeking, stroking, needing to draw a reaction. When she brushed her fingertip over the spot that sent stars dancing in front of her eyes Ayani moaned with pleasure, head straining back as her hands fell onto the pillows.

Alicia began to slowly pump her finger, lips pressed now to the skin of Ayani's exposed throat. She sucked lightly when her thumb ghosted over the older woman's clit, the dual assault drawing another moan, rougher this time, from between swollen lips. The medic smiled to herself as she added another finger, searching deeper while moving her mouth first down further to Ayani's shoulder before up to just under her ear.

"You're safe." She whispered, capturing an earlobe between her teeth and tugging the slightest amount. "Always."

Ayani purred as the fingers within her scissored, stretching her, filling her in _just_ the right way. Her breath caught in her throat as Alicia pressed on her clit with purpose now, meaning every touch. 

"Always." Ayani echoed, the word a promise, an oath. A truth. 

When Ayani came apart at her hands it was always a moment of pride, to render the older woman so undone, to remove some of her politician's control. But this time, when her head tipped back and her mouth opened in a silent moan Alicia felt a thousand times happier, luckier, to witness such an ecstatic expression on her lover's face. Ayani's muscles clamped down around the fingers inside her and a breathy whimper finally left her lips as the younger woman swiped her thumb over her clit to draw out the pleasure. It was as if all of the moments of fear, worry, discontent of the previous few days were just a distant memory now, their associated tension flooding from her body as Ayani found release. 

And when she opened her eyes to smile up at Alicia, sated beyond the telling of it, the medic saw not only release but _relief_ in their green depths, along with a gratitude she didn't feel worthy of having directed at her. She pressed her lips to Ayani's reddened mouth, enjoying the lazy swipes of her tongue against her own as the older woman came down from her high.

Breaking away was difficult; a base part of her was demanding release even if the rest of her wanted nothing of the sort. But she managed it, easing herself from over the form below her to rest beside Ayani. She turned onto her side at the same time as her lover, situated herself up behind her and hooked her arm over her waist, hand splaying possessively over her stomach.

The room, no longer chilled and uncertain, was instead pleasantly silent and full of love as the two women fell asleep.

-

When Alicia awoke alone the next morning concerned flared hot in her belly before she deftly pushed it away. They were safe here. Ayani was safe here. And there were a hundred reasonable locations for the older woman to be in that would be no cause to worry.

So she pulled on her top and made her way down the hall, down the stairs and stopped at the bottom when she came across a pile of black bags, much the same as she had turned up with a week or so ago.

Nathaniel was home.

Resisting the new fluttering in her stomach (anticipation this time, as opposed to something more sinister) she made her way through to the kitchen in search of her partners.

She found them easily, fought a smile at their positioning. Nathaniel was seated in on of the kitchen chairs, Ayani draped over his lap as nude as she'd been when she'd left Alicia's bed. They rocked together slowly, the older woman's arms tight around her husband's shoulders, forehead pressed into the crook of his neck. Nathaniel's hands were firm on her hips, guiding their movements until Ayani shuddered against him and he quickly followed with a quiet groan of release.

They stayed that way for several moments until Nathaniel's head turned in his lieutenant's direction. "Morning Wash." He murmured, drawing a laugh from the woman on his lap.

"Welcome home sir." She said. "This is a surprise."

With a wave of his hand he beckoned her closer, hooking his finger in the waistband of her pyjamas and pulling her to him when she got within reach. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his in greeting, her resulting moan allowing his tongue entrance to her mouth.

Alicia hummed as she pulled away, running her tongue along her lips and enjoying the taste of him on her mouth again after so long (both apart, and deployed together, forbidden to touch). "Good to see you too, sir." She purred. "But we weren't expecting you..."

Nathaniel just grinned wolfishly at her, reaching up to tangle his fingers in her unbound hair and pull her back to him. She gasped, nerve endings firing with pleasure only he knew how to invoke and this allowed him to slip his tongue in her mouth once more. When they broke apart Ayani was laughing, the sound accompanied by the soft click of his zipper being raised.

"Honestly Nathaniel, let the girl breathe." She murmured, hand stroking gently over the newly-exposed skin of Alicia's back.

"I was supposed to be home tomorrow. Once Philbrick heard what had happened he made me take the shuttle. I was in Europe three hours ago." Nathaniel said, hand still clenched in Alicia's hair as she smiled lazily at him. "Wonders of modern technology."

Ayani scooted off of his lap, dropping a kiss on each of their heads as she went upstairs. "This isn't a conversation to have naked. I'll be right back."

Alicia rounded the table to sit opposite her CO and they remained silent as they listened for the sound of Ayani's footsteps fading away. Once certain they were alone, Nathaniel turned to her, face lined with concern.

"How is she?"

Alicia ducked her head, bringing her hands to rest in the back of her neck when she looked back up at him. "Better, now. After she spoke to you... " She said. "But the first couple of days... I've never seen her like that before. She was so scared. So not herself."

Nathaniel nodded, clearly fighting the urge to rush to his wife's side as he hadn't been able to before. "She seemed..." He trailed off, not quite sure what to say. A sigh broke his silence as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Thank you for being here, Wash. For whatever it is you did to help her through this. "

Alicia couldn't help it, despite the seriousness of the situation her lips quirked in amusement at his words. "My pleasure sir." She murmured and he instantly got her meaning, eyes flashing with a mixture of amusement and arousal.

He laughed at the same time as Ayani walked back into the kitchen, dressed now in a tank and a pair of sweatpants. "What's so funny?" She asked, slipping into the hold of Nathaniel's outstretched arm, linking her own around his neck.

"Glad I left you in such... capable hands." Nathaniel teased and this time it was Alicia's turn to laugh. 

Ayani huffed, smacking the back of his head and easing herself down in a chair at the head of the table, between her lovers. "So... where are we?" She questioned, drawing a smile from Alicia at the way she was facing up to the situation now.

"I spent the flight back talking with my contact in the FBI. He told me they brought the sniper in for questioning yesterday afternoon as the result of an anonymous tip." He turned to Ayani. "From a payphone outside your office."

Ayani shrugged, fighting a smile. "I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement, Nathaniel. But I'm sure if the FBI check surveillance they will be unable to recognise anyone who may or may not have been using the payphone at the time."

Her husband chuckled, smoothing a tender hand over her cheek. "The man was inexperienced, new to the game. Cheap, inefficient, someone's last resort. It didn't take them long to break him."

Ayani frowned at his words. "And? Who hired him?"

Nathaniel paused, clearly reluctant to tell her. "Andrew Gardner."

All of the air left the older woman's body in a quick exhalation, her face clearly showing her shock. " _Andrew_?"

Alicia frowned, looking between the couple in front of her. "Andrew Gardner? The Secretary of State?"

Ayani cleared her throat, swiping her hair out of her face. "I was planning on running against him when his term ends next month. He's a good man."

Nathaniel scoffed, sitting back in his chair. "Ayani, he is _not_ a good –."

"He _was_ Nathaniel." Ayani said fiercely, eyes flashing with anger. "He was. When we first entered government together, he was a _good_ man."

Alicia reached out to cover one of Ayani's hands with her own. "What changed?"

Ayani sighed. "So many things. His wife left him... for another woman. Took his kids. He turned to drink, then drugs. Hid it well, but recently it started to get out of hand. He was late for work, forgot his meetings. When it finally got through to him that his term was coming to an end he tried to turn things around for re-election but the damage was already done. I guess he heard about my plans and..."

"And what? The easiest solution was to take you out?" Alicia said, angry now herself.

"He's a sick man, Alicia. I dare say he thought he had no other choice."

Nathaniel grumbled, leaning forward once more. "That doesn't excuse –."

"No, you're right. It doesn't." Ayani cut in. "But he was desperate. And he's surrounded himself with bad people, who help him make bad decisions. He is not as lucky as me."

The trio fell silent, contemplating Ayani's words. Alicia's grip on the older woman's hand tightened, while she in turn reached out for her husband. Linked together, they felt their strength and fortitude returning.

"What happens now?" Ayani asked quietly.

"They're going to arrest him." Nathaniel said. "My contact said that, should you want to, you could be there when it happens."

Alicia watched Ayani's eyes widen as she considered the opportunity. To her, it seemed like a fantastic opportunity for closure, to face down the 'enemy' in a neutral location. But the older woman would have to make that choice on her own.

"Okay." Ayani breathed. "Let's do it."

-

Alicia didn't expected to be invited. It really wasn't her place. When Ayani started to ready herself for the task ahead, she slipped into her bedroom and sat at the window, looking out over the newly blooming garden.

And then Nathaniel walked through the door, decked out in full dress uniform and crossed the room to seat himself next to her. 

"Sir?" She asked, fighting the urge to both stand to full attention and jump him (damn if he didn't fill the uniform out nicely).

He smiled, knowing what she was thinking (probably not averse to letting her do the latter, in different circumstances). "You have your uniform with you?"

"Of course, sir."

He smiled, patting her knee. "Then get dressed, lieutenant. Ayani wants you with her too."

Alicia nodded, expecting him to leave after his order. At any other time, likely he would have. But instead his arms reached out for her, pulling her across his lap and swallowing her chuckle with eager lips. Her arms wound around his neck as she enjoyed his kiss, his tongue swiping along her bottom lip and gaining entrance with little effort.

When she pulled back, her eyes were shining with love and amusement. "You look so hot in that uniform." She murmured, stealing one final kiss.

"Likewise, lieutenant." He responded fondly as she stood, before walking to the door. "I look forward to removing you from it later."

When she removed her uniform from the wardrobe, Alicia sighed. She was never going to be able to look at it in the same way now, after a promise like that.

-

Standing outsider Andrew Gardner's house, flanked by her lovers in their dress uniform, Ayani found herself feeling stronger than she had in days. Their faces were expressionless as they guarded her, duty first, concern later. She smiled a little to herself before remembering there were media cameras here and any sign of happiness could well be twisted by gleeful editors into putting the blame for this moment cleanly on her shoulders.

She watched as the lead agents advanced up the path to the door – if Andrew didn't know what was happening now, it wouldn't be through lack of warning; the black vehicles and white news vans littering the street would surely be enough. Ayani hoped he wasn't foolish enough to try anything stupid.

The detectives knocked on the door and waited only a moment before it opened to reveal their target, flanked by his lawyer. Whatever words were spoken were too quiet for anyone to pick up, but she watched as he submitted willingly to their requests, watched as he was handcuffed and led out of his house.

"Stay here." She murmured to Nathaniel and Alicia and they obeyed, even as she crossed the front lawn towards her would-be murderer.

"May I?" She asked the agents and they nodded, pausing. She looked Andrew dead in the eye, saw him flinch away from her anger, her pain. "Andrew, _why_?"

"Ayani... I..." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

She scoffed. "You weren't sorry when you hired a hitman to take me out."

He flinched again, eyes wide and bloodshot. He was shaking (whether from withdrawal or a chemical high she wasn't sure) as he fought the urge to spill his feelings to her under the watchful eye of his captors and his attorney. "Ayani..."

"I thought we were friends."

"Friends don't steal each other's offices." He spat, unable to keep his silence any longer.

Ayani narrowed her eyes. "If that's what you believe, then clearly I was mistaken about you." She took a step back, nodding to the agents. "I'll see you soon, I'm sure."

She walked away without a final look, seeing Alicia enter the vehicle as Nathaniel held the door open for her. Ayani slid in after her, waiting for her husband to join them before instructing the driver to take them home. She linked her hands with each of them, squeezing tight, reassuring.

"Are you okay?" Nathaniel asked quietly.

She looked between the two of them, let a smile form. "I am now."

-

Ayani let the water stream down over her with a small smile on her face, a satisfied smile. Today had, despite everything, been a good day. A day for resolution, a day with her family, her loves. As much as it pained her to be without her son on a regular basis, she was glad he wasn't around to see everything that had occurred. It would be difficult to explain it to him when he got home but for now, things had been resolved to the best of her ability.

She allowed herself far longer under the spray than usual, knowing she was giving her husband more time alone with Alicia as a result. The two of them deserved the time together, Alicia especially, after everything she had done in the past week. And she wasn't stupid enough to miss the burning lust in the lieutenant's gaze every time she looked at her commander in his uniform.

Really, Ayani thought with a laugh, she couldn't blame her.

Once she was finished, Ayani switched out the light in the hallway and slipped into the darkened bedroom just as her husband thrust into Alicia for the first time in months. The sheer ecstasy on the younger woman's face stole her breath for a moment, and she could see the awe on Nathaniel's face as he looked down at her; her head tipped back into the pillows, eyes screwed shut and mouth open in a silent moan.

Ayani watched as he paused, drinking his second in before withdrawing with a slowness he knew would infuriate her. Her eyes opened in response, challenging him with her fiery brown gaze and, as if that was all he had wanted in the first place, he plunged back in drawing a high pitched cry from her throat.

Ayani stayed by the door, entranced by the sight in front of her. They were a work of art like this, their skin tanned by years of operations abroad moving together in a rhythm that drove both of them to the brink of oblivion. Alicia's legs shifted from around Nathaniel's thighs to hook up over his back, ankles locking above his ass and urging him on.

Alicia's hand strayed to the back of her commander's head, pulling his mouth down to meet hers and swallowing the groan that left him with a smile. Her other hand reached out towards the door without turning to her and Ayani smiled, crossing to the bed to grasp it tightly. She lay down next to the couple, head on a level with theirs to watch their tongues duel, teeth nip as they struggled for control.

Alicia broke away gasping and Nathaniel withdrew once again before slamming home, filling her completely and then stopping. Alicia mewled with disappointment, rolling her hips to try and encourage him back into movement but he remained still above her and she earned herself nothing more than a chuckle.

Ayani smiled, hand tracking up her husband's arm and across to cup his cheek. He pressed a kiss to her palm, eyes shining with love and contentment and some sort of understanding of her next move, which she found impressive considering the words she wanted to use were still a mass of swirling confusion in her head. Turning her attention to their young lover, her smile widened at Alicia's dazed expression, the battle between lust and composure playing out clearly on her face.

"Alicia." Ayani started, hand leaving Nathaniel's face to instead smooth over the cheek of the medic. "... _Thank you_."

The shake of her head, Alicia's instant rebuttal of the older woman's gratitude was expected, but still tugged at her heart. "Ayani, I-." Her words were cut off by a sharp, shallow thrust from the man inside her and she turned annoyance on him. "Not fair, sir."

"I believe my wife is trying to thank you for saving her life. I think you should accept that, lieutenant."

Ayani watched Alicia's face carefully as a rush of emotions passed over it; frustration, at the manner in which she was controlled, sadness at the way her words might have come across, a hot burning flash of love that looked so _right_ there. Ayani couldn't resist capturing the younger woman's lips in that moment, convincing her with actions if words would not suffice.

She pulled back, mouth mere millimetres above her lover's. "Thank you, Alicia. For everything." She murmured, gently teasing her lips over those beneath her, not engaging, not needing to.

The medic took a deep, steadying breath. "You're welcome, Ayani."

Ayani engaged Alicia's lips once more, her hand slowly trailing down to cup the younger woman's neck and tilt her head for better access. Alicia groaned as Nathaniel started to move; slow, meaningful strokes gently building her fire up anew.

Ayani let her mouth travel downwards, pressing open mouthed kisses to Alicia's jaw and throat. Once at the crook of her neck, she paused and smiled. "Thank you." She repeated, and looked up to see the medic's lip caught between her teeth, eyes wide with pleasure.

Nathaniel paused when she didn't reply, barely inside her and Alicia whimpered., clutching at his shoulders.

"Wash?" He prompted.

"You're welcome!" She rasped, her voice breaking over the latter word as she was entered again.

The warm glow of triumph flooding her body, Ayani slid her hand down further, under her husband's arm to cup one of Alicia's breasts. She squeezed gently, getting a moan in response, an arch into her touch. She teased first one nipple then the other, bringing each to hard peaks as her mouth continued to attend to Alicia's neck. Knowing the younger woman's sensitive spots, she sucked hard on her shoulder at the same time as pinching her right nipple and Alicia cried out at the sensation, fingernails digging into the shoulder of the man over her.

"Thank you." Ayani mumbled against her skin, just loud enough to be heard over the heavy breathing of the man and woman beside her.

Alicia's eyes lolled shut at the heat racing through her body as Ayani's hand moved lower, and it was only when Nathaniel showed incredible fortitude and stopped again that they snapped open and she cried out again, this time in frustration.

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" She said, words tumbling from her lips with ease as Nathaniel restarted his thrusts.

They were close now, both of her lovers and Ayani could only watch with rapt fascination as she teased over Alicia's clit while Nathaniel unhooked her thigh and pushed it up to rest over his shoulder, his hips moving faster, deeper, harsher into his second.

A guttural cry left her husband mere moments before Ayani's actions sent the medic toppling after him with a strangled scream. With a satisfied laugh Nathaniel flopped down on the other side of Alicia, tangling his fingers in her hair and rubbing over her scalp soothingly.

The younger woman rolled over towards him, hand smoothing over his chest as she stole one final kiss before turning her attention fully to Ayani.

"You're welcome." She said earnestly, cupping the older woman's face and kissing her sweetly.

Ayani hummed happily."I didn't even have to thank you." She teased, pulling the covers up over the three of them.

"I'm a quick learner ma'am." Alicia retorted and Ayani could only groan in response.

"When it suits you. How many times have I told you not to call me that?"

The lieutenant didn't respond, simply grinned at Ayani and pulled her to rest over her body, chest still rising and falling from her earlier exertions. Alicia then hooked one leg around hers and flipped them so that Ayani was between her lovers, smiling when Nathaniel turned to pull his wife back against his chest. 

Ayani grumbled but couldn't deny the pull of the feeling of safety inside her that her husband's arms inspired. And when Alicia settled down too, the medic's back pressed to her front, it was instinctive to do the same, arm encircling the younger woman's waist.

Things were by no means resolved. There would be tough remembrances ahead. But as long as she had her commander and her lieutenant, Ayani figured she could face whatever life threw at her.


End file.
